How Olivetti Invented the World's First Desktop Computer & Put the Soul in the Machine

A talk by Dr. Arthur Molella (Smithsonian Institution)

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
Online Event in English via Zoom
at 5:00 pm PST
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​An Italian company renowned for the exquisite design of its office machines, Olivetti invented the world’s first desktop computer in 1965, well ahead of major computer companies.
The revolutionary little machine, called Programma 101 (now in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art) was the seed of a process that eventually disrupted the whole mainframe computer business. It was more than a machine, however; it was the product of a sweeping utopian project of company president Adriano Olivetti, who aimed to transform the relationship between technology, art, society & the human spirit.
This lecture explores the associations between his ideology, his reinvention of the
Olivetti company town of Ivrea in northern Italy & Programma 101.​​​​​
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Admission: FREE for Dante Society's members - $5 fee for non-members
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